NC State football receives huge news on Jalen Grant final transfer portal decision
12/21/2024 03:14 PM
NC State football received huge news on an offensive lineman it has been targeting for a while. The Wolfpack are finishing up a difficult twelfth season under head coach Dave Doeren. As NC State players react to UNC’s shocking hire, the coaching staff is gearing its focus toward the transfer portal. Fortunately, Dave Doeren and company received some great news from Jalen Grant, a player who can significantly help NC State’s goal to climb back up the ACC ladder.
According to National College Football Reporter for CBS Sports Matt Zenitz, Grant is expected to spend his last year of eligibility at NC State. The offensive lineman previously played at Purdue and Bowling Green.
NC State is trying to rebuild itself into an ACC contender
An offensive guard from Chicago, Illinois, Grant was a 3-star recruit in the class of 2020. After joining the Boilermakers, Jalen started twelve games in 2023 and three in 2024. On3 gave him an 86.00 transfer portal industry rating.
Grant will be looking to shore up an NC State offensive line that was inconsistent this year. The program came into the season with playoff-contending expectations. Dave Doeren’s team was ranked No. 24, entering a major second-week clash against then-No. 14 Tennessee. The 51-10 blowout in Charlotte marked the beginning of NC State’s many issues during 2024.
Grad transfer QB Grayson McCall sadly struggled with chronic injuries throughout the year. The frequent health setbacks eventually forced the Coastal Carolina star to retire from football in late October. Freshman CJ Tiller subsequently took over the starting role, putting together an encouraging season. The Miami, Florida native threw for fourteen touchdowns and rushed for five. Those totals were enough to give Tiller the 60th-best QBR in the country, showcasing that he should be the face of the program going forward.
Overall, NC State’s regular season was underwhelming, but the program has plenty of reasons to be optimistic heading into 2025. Dave Doeren has built a perenially ranked team in Raleigh before, and he can certainly do it again in this new era. The twelve-team College Football Playoff gives programs like NC State the opportunity to realistically compete for a spot in the field annually. This format helps spread parity, particularly when it comes to the transfer portal and recruiting.
The Wolfpack should ultimately return to its ACC-contending ways next season. And with this newest addition, Jalen Grant could help solidify an interior that can propel this team both in the conference and overall.
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